Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South Africa
Background: Keratoconus (KC) is a condition marked by thinning and protrusion of the cornea resulting in high myopia and irregular astigmatism. Knowledge of KC patients’ profiles and management approaches used can help to predict the needs of public hospitals to improve patient care. Aim: This stud...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2023-06-01
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| Series: | African Vision and Eye Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/780 |
| _version_ | 1797788820516634624 |
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| author | Pheagane M.W. Nkoana Vanessa R. Moodley Khathutshelo P. Mashige |
| author_facet | Pheagane M.W. Nkoana Vanessa R. Moodley Khathutshelo P. Mashige |
| author_sort | Pheagane M.W. Nkoana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Keratoconus (KC) is a condition marked by thinning and protrusion of the cornea resulting in high myopia and irregular astigmatism. Knowledge of KC patients’ profiles and management approaches used can help to predict the needs of public hospitals to improve patient care.
Aim: This study aimed to describe the profiles and management of KC patients.
Setting: Capricorn district, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Methods: Medical records of 188 KC patients attending public hospitals of Capricorn District from January 2017 to December 2020 were reviewed. Data on patient profile and their management were collected and analysed.
Results: The mean age of KC patients was 20.64 ± 6.82 years and the majority (56.9%) were males. Clinical findings were mean unaided visual acuity (UVA) of 0.19 ± 0.18, best corrected VA of 0.53 ± 0.24, spherical equivalence of -4.89 ± 9.17 dioptre (D), mean K of 57.37 ± 17 D and corneal astigmatism of -6.24 ± 4.27 D. A total of 54.5% of patients had severe KC. Bilateral KC was found in almost all patients (97.3%) and a mean K difference of 7.59 ± 6.08 D (p 0.001) between the better and the worse eye. The study found no significant difference in KC severity by age (p = 0.451) and gender (p = 0.819). Patients fitted with scleral lenses had the highest VA improvement of 0.44 ± 0.17.
Conclusion: Most patients presented with bilateral and severe KC. Scleral lenses provided higher VA improvement than other methods.
Contribution: The study aimed to present the clinical profile and management of keratoconic patients attending public sector facilities. Knowledge of the patterns of KC presentation may assist in the development of intervention strategies and guidelines for best practice in the management of KC, especially in public sector facilities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:41:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8ebee901be1a439cb3e1e20a137f7b42 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2413-3183 2410-1516 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:41:54Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Vision and Eye Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-8ebee901be1a439cb3e1e20a137f7b422023-07-03T14:04:44ZengAOSISAfrican Vision and Eye Health2413-31832410-15162023-06-01821e1e910.4102/aveh.v82i1.780541Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South AfricaPheagane M.W. Nkoana0Vanessa R. Moodley1Khathutshelo P. Mashige2Discipline of Optometry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; and, Department of Optometry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, PolokwaneDiscipline of Optometry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDiscipline of Optometry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanBackground: Keratoconus (KC) is a condition marked by thinning and protrusion of the cornea resulting in high myopia and irregular astigmatism. Knowledge of KC patients’ profiles and management approaches used can help to predict the needs of public hospitals to improve patient care. Aim: This study aimed to describe the profiles and management of KC patients. Setting: Capricorn district, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods: Medical records of 188 KC patients attending public hospitals of Capricorn District from January 2017 to December 2020 were reviewed. Data on patient profile and their management were collected and analysed. Results: The mean age of KC patients was 20.64 ± 6.82 years and the majority (56.9%) were males. Clinical findings were mean unaided visual acuity (UVA) of 0.19 ± 0.18, best corrected VA of 0.53 ± 0.24, spherical equivalence of -4.89 ± 9.17 dioptre (D), mean K of 57.37 ± 17 D and corneal astigmatism of -6.24 ± 4.27 D. A total of 54.5% of patients had severe KC. Bilateral KC was found in almost all patients (97.3%) and a mean K difference of 7.59 ± 6.08 D (p 0.001) between the better and the worse eye. The study found no significant difference in KC severity by age (p = 0.451) and gender (p = 0.819). Patients fitted with scleral lenses had the highest VA improvement of 0.44 ± 0.17. Conclusion: Most patients presented with bilateral and severe KC. Scleral lenses provided higher VA improvement than other methods. Contribution: The study aimed to present the clinical profile and management of keratoconic patients attending public sector facilities. Knowledge of the patterns of KC presentation may assist in the development of intervention strategies and guidelines for best practice in the management of KC, especially in public sector facilities.https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/780keratoconus, demographic and clinical characteristicskeratoconus managementcapricorn district of limpopo provinceprogression of keratoconus |
| spellingShingle | Pheagane M.W. Nkoana Vanessa R. Moodley Khathutshelo P. Mashige Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South Africa African Vision and Eye Health keratoconus, demographic and clinical characteristics keratoconus management capricorn district of limpopo province progression of keratoconus |
| title | Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South Africa |
| title_full | Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South Africa |
| title_short | Keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in South Africa |
| title_sort | keratoconic patient profile and management at public sector facilities in south africa |
| topic | keratoconus, demographic and clinical characteristics keratoconus management capricorn district of limpopo province progression of keratoconus |
| url | https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/780 |
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